On the other side of the world, a historic heat in western Canada reached 49.6 degrees – the source of the fire that particularly devastated the village of Lytton in British Columbia – causing tens of thousands of Indians to suffocate, with extreme temperatures on Friday, July 2nd. The capital, New Delhi, recorded the highest temperature since 2012.

Since 2010, severe heat waves in the world’s second most populous country have killed more than 6,500 people; Scientists fear that this phenomenon could be exacerbated by climate change.

Daytime temperatures in Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi rose to 40 degrees for the fourth day in a row on Friday. The northern states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also witnessed extreme heat.

New Delhi recorded a low of 43.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the hottest day in July since 2012. The capital dropped to 43.5 degrees that year. The thermometer recorded 41 degrees on Friday in this megalopolis of 20 million inhabitants.

The average temperature this year is seven degrees, weather services call the situation “Extreme extreme heat”.

According to forecast services, temperatures are expected to cross 40 degrees next week due to the late arrival of monsoon, with hot winds (loo) from the desert state of Rajasthan and Pakistan.

Air conditioners increase energy consumption

This intense heat wave has led to an increase in power consumption, with air conditioners and fans operating at full speed among more residents who own them.

According to forecasters, the monsoon season will not start before July 7 in Delhi, the latest date since 2006. In 2015, a heat wave killed more than 2,000 people.

Currently, only 5% of homes have air conditioners, 90% in the US and 60% in China. In this country, which is the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, consumption is expected to increase and energy consumption is expected to explode in the coming years.

The cooling gases contained in air conditioners and the increased consumption of energy are exacerbating climate change. The country of 1.3 billion people also suffers from severe water shortages, with millions of people without running water.

At the same time, western Canada, on the other hand, is experiencing a historic heatwave. The village of Lytton in British Columbia reached 49.6 degrees.